| 1890 |
 Chronomedia index
Numbers after entries link to the list of references. |
links and notes |
| early |
Louis Le Prince begins developing a marketable version of his film equipment. |
|
| May 17 |
First edition of Comic Cuts, the first weekly comic paper, is published in
the UK. |
|
| September 16 |
 En route from Dijon to
Paris, Louis Le Prince [right] and his film equipment disappear without trace. |
|
| autumn |
Jesse Lippincott suffers paralysis which, within months, leads to his losing control
of North American Phonograph Company. The principal creditor, Thomas Edison, takes control. |
|
| December 16 |
In Japan, a telephone switching system is inaugurated at Tatsunokuchi, Tokyo and a
telephone service is established between Tokyo (155 subscribers at launch) and Yokohama (42 subscribers). |
|
| l |
Compagnie du Théâtrophone is established
in Paris to distribute music from several theatres by telephone to domestic subscribers. It is
also available on special coin-operated telephones installed in hotels and cafés. The service
continues until 1932. Among future subscribers is Marcel Proust. |
The idea had been anticipated by the British humorous magazine Punch in 1877. |
| l |
New York Phonograph Company opens the first purpose-built recording studio. |
|
| l |
Julius Elster and Hans Geitel exploit the photo-electric
effect to create the first photo valve by enclosing an alkali-amalgam in an evacuated envelope. |
|
| l |
Edison introduces the six-inch long cylinder for dictation machines. It remains
the standard for cylinder recorders until 1945. |
|
